How low will people go

I encountered children beggars on occasion while living in Budapest.  Many of the the begging children were missing a hand or limb, and would display their stub while begging. I came to find out through working with a Roma advocacy group that many of these children were intentionally mutilated by their handler so that they could more effectively beg.

I'll take a fake baby begging over mutilating children any day of the week.

Monterey has seen a HUGE rise in this activity over the recent few years.  So much so that I am starting to dislike Del Monte Beach area (by MBK) due to all of them hanging out along the fence.  Then there are the ones over by the wharf ... including the guy who has been there for at least a year now with a sign that reads 'Why Lie.  I Need Money for Beer' 

Living in humboldt u get jaded to the homeless problem real quick.  I don't give money or food to panhandlers anymore.  I don't get pissed at them anymore either! Lol. I mean it's a rough life no matter how much freeloading they do.  I just feel sorry for them.   Makes my life look pretty good.  I work hard for my money, got a woman who loves me, I get to kayak fish any spare moment I have, 2 dogs who are always happy to see m, and a small home to call our own!  Life ain't easy but it sure is sweet. 

I donate food to food bank.  That's all I can do. 

including the guy who has been there for at least a year now with a sign that reads 'Why Lie.  I Need Money for Beer' 

Haha I was gonna toss him a buck last time I was there,but the wife said no.

We did an experiment project in my college communications class.  Reason for it (i forgot like most schooling);p

A girl in our group went out to a corner of the street. Held a sign "need help, newly homeless".  We video it for our project.  In 5 minutes she made 20 bucks.  She was wearing normal clean clothes.

I had a real pregnant woman once ask for gas money.  She had a empty 5 gal can.

I told her I dont have cash.  I filled her gas can for her. Afterwards she went to the next guy and ask the same thing.   I hate low lives.  I could have used that gas, it was a rough time for me too.

My dad got spitted on once because the bum asked for a dollar and he handed him 50 cents in change since that was all he had.

The list goes on. Its actually illegal in San Jose and possibly many other cities to panhandle on the streets, and sidewalk. (loitering) and causing traffic congestion.  However they would get cited and nothing happens since some of them are actually dont care.

I gave money and bought beer for homeless guys..  I rather them be honest. I also think if I was that down on my luck, I would love a cold one myself. I handed a guy a bottle of Heineken once and he was super happy. Said he cant remember the last time he drank a premium beer.

Used to drive to Pasadena once or twice a month for work I would stop at same rest stops on way down and up. One time I gave a family 40 bucks for gas. Then I saw them at the same stop every time I came through. They do it for a living. I have not given to anyone asking or begging since. Unless I know who they are and know they are not faking.

I also ran across a guy who said he went to USF and used to panhandle in San Francisco said he made over 50 k a year all through college.

If you think it’s bad here, try to going to Europe.  My wife and I went to Paris last summer and experienced pan handling like I’d never seen before.  We were walking down the one of the main strips and noticed a well off family walking with their elderly grandmother (I would assume) and two young children just in front of us.  When they reached the street corner, the grandma crouched down and they proceeded to pull old nasty clothes out of a bag and dress her for pan handling, make up and all.  We continued on our walk and sure enough when we walked back by about an hour later, she was sitting there, now shaking, trembling, muttering all kinds of non-sense and asking for money.  To no one’s surprise, the kids were set up in raggedy clothes now too on the next corner.  I looked around for a couple minutes and spotted the other two from the group sitting outside at a nearby restaurant having a glass of wine, keeping an eye on their “employees”.  Just disgusting.  At least there was no mutilation in this case like ATD mentioned.

I rarely give money to people on the street anymore, most of my donation’s go to our church and to local charities.

If you think it’s bad here, try to going to Europe.  My wife and I went to Paris last summer and experienced pan handling like I’d never seen before.  We were walking down the one of the main strips and noticed a well off family walking with their elderly grandmother (I would assume) and two young children just in front of us.  When they reached the street corner, the grandma crouched down and they proceeded to pull old nasty clothes out of a bag and dress her for pan handling, make up and all.  We continued on our walk and sure enough when we walked back by about an hour later, she was sitting there, now shaking, trembling, muttering all kinds of non-sense and asking for money.  To no one’s surprise, the kids were set up in raggedy clothes now too on the next corner.  I looked around for a couple minutes and spotted the other two from the group sitting outside at a nearby restaurant having a glass of wine, keeping an eye on their “employees”.  Just disgusting.  At least there was no mutilation in this case like ATD mentioned.

I rarely give money to people on the street anymore, most of my donation’s go to our church and to local charities.

ya, those are Gypsy's, and they'll take you while you are watching them… another sham they play is to come and with 2 to 3 people with a clipboard and ask," do you speak english?.."  if you respond in english and say yes to a survey, another is pick pocketing you blind…

  About all of this,,, believe me..

This was my clientele was well over 25 years,,,  most are mentally deranged … not their fault and there are services out there, but when your got mental problems and the only relief you can get is a beer or drugs,,, that's the cycle,,,  and who can blame them …

it's very rare I give money and they never fuck with me as I have a stare after dealing with them for over two decades that makes them shiver...

I used to get terribly upset as half my calls were because of this social failure,,, up all night because of a failed society that wanted to save few bucks,,,

Thanks Regan…  smooth move closing the mental facilities in the 80's… but he did not close all of them over the US and world, and we still have an epidemic…

so we mostly want turn our backs as the problem is so big and how can one even begin to tackle this… but good hearted souls do and the shameful thing is it would to take too much to create facilities to give these people proper support to get back on their feet.


In wanting to become a Physicians Assistant, I volunteered at the Berkeley Free Clinic to get some hard core experience .. well I did, and one of the things I did , and this was the early 90's, was help people with their "General Assistance" paperwork..

Now, this is money that is given to people who can fill out this form, not sure what the status is of this now, but here's the deal in California…


 two checks a month, usually around $250… ever noticed the line around the corner @ the 24 hr cash checking stores around 11pm on the 14 and 31st of every month?

It's what use to call "Mothers Day" in the San Francisco paramedic world and this is racist…  It came twice a month and we called that as, "Mama done got her check,,,"

which means, cashing the check, paying off your dealer, getting more drugs, getting in trouble and calling us, all night long…. 

But think about it…  your getting $250 dollars very two weeks, or on a weekly dispersion. $125 … what is that going to do for you… roof over your head, 3 square meals a day…?

not really, especially with poor executive function …  but, it will keep you in drugs and alcohol till you run out of money, and need to beg, borrow and steal till the next round…


how about using that money for a facility for a shower, cot, job training skills and communal phone and message center for these people to get jobs….

  it's really not that hard, just takes some resources…


 

you want aggressive panhandling?  Go to Vancover, BC,  anywhere you have Heroin, watch your ass

my two pesos ,,,

It's bad here in Fresno too. Even the creative signs are just annoying now. Have you ever offered someone some work that is holding a will work for food sign? They always have some excuse as to why they cant. Some (most) have mental health/ drug/alcohol abuse issues and they all want something the easy way. They get nothing from me and never will. Donate to charities and food banks that hand out the essentials. They do good work. Otherwise, you are just contributing to their chosen dependency.

Going back to the days where the signs used to read "Will Work for Food" my boss' wife picked up a panhandler named Rebel and his wife. They were allowed to stay in the barn and have free meals as long as Rebel worked every day (for the same pay I was getting).

First payday my boss went out to the barn to get Rebel to go to work the next morning and found him passed out in the yard. Fired him and kicked him out of his barn.

I ran into Rebel on the street later. He was glad he got fired because "he made more holding a cardboard sign for a couple hours than he did working all day". He claimed that 6 or 7 people would take turns "working" a corner for a couple hours each, keep $250/day, throw away the free food because they couldn't eat it all, and they would share a hotel room and do crystal meth all night.

I too avoid being hassled by staring them down and if they start to move toward me I shake my head no. Sometimes if they do ask me if I can help I say "I am already taking care of a family of 5".

Great thread, thanks for sharing all the stories and insight. There's a lot of crazy stuff that goes on in this world...

i never give nothin to nobody...EVER!!   

oh, but when on my A=Hole side of things and looking to take some payback for all the literal Crap I had to deal with on the Homeless…   

  "Spare Change…?,  Never Heard of spare money… "

 "Nope. Only LARGE Bills…"

 " Trying to take care of your Family…?  There's a Better way Asshole…"

or, if I'm just in a decent mood, I'll acknowledge them…  look them in the eye, an give them a nod….   

  Mostly these people are invisible, even when their in your face, giving them sort of human acknowledgment is actually the most inspirational thing you can do,,,  if so inclined...

  but of course, be always careful of the crazies…  there are people out there that would kill you just easily as to they would say "hi…"   

Best, especially if you do not have experience with this population to stay clear …

even giving them change and a casual contact skin to skin,,, guess what,  there are dermatitis skin conditions just as varried as people…

 I use to keep a incredibly high strength cortisone cream to wart of all the things that would start growing on me,,,

yes, Strange New world indeed when we use to wear blood on our uniform as a sign Of God knows what…   

I had a T-shirt in HS that said "Not hungry, not homeless, but will rope for food"